


Darcy Lewis and the NEARLY-Virgin Birth

by GlynnisIsta8



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Birth, Eyelashes, F/M, Fluff, Holidays, More Fluff, Steve Needs a Hug, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, baby kicks, cuddles and hugs, happy fic, pregnant Darcy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-01
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-17 13:33:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5871523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlynnisIsta8/pseuds/GlynnisIsta8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers meets a mysteriously-pregnant Darcy Lewis.  She's a champion cuddler and his cuddle bank has a serious deficit.  Over several months and through the holidays, they become buddies... and, then more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The mysteriously-pregnant champion cuddler

**Author's Note:**

  * For [McGregorsWench](https://archiveofourown.org/users/McGregorsWench/gifts).



> McGregorsWench has been super generous with her time, organizing several fic/art/podfic/etc. gift exchanges, including the 2015 Steve/Darcy Christmas Fic Exchange. Sadly, she didn't get a Christmas gift. So, I poked her until she shared her prompts. Here's my fave... and one I have good reason to think she'll like, since BABY.
> 
> Aenaria was generous enough to agree to give me beta help, poke me not be lazy or gloss over too much, and point out holes. Any mistakes left are all mine.

**Chapter 1- The mysteriously-pregnant champion cuddler**

Steve stopped in his tracks when he saw her face for the first time.

Expressive blue eyes...  Full, pouty lips... A gorgeous, lively smile…

Sweet laughter warmed him through as the feisty brunette batted at Clint, protesting, “No!  No one is gonna jump out and yell ‘ _it’s all for you, Damien…_ ’ and I do NOT want to watch ‘ _Alien_ ’ again…” Clint hugged her firmly, interrupting her attack while cuddling closer and snickering.

Smiling smugly at Steve, Natasha raised a brow.  “See something you like? I’ve known her since she and her boss caught SHIELD’s attention, and she’s awesome.  You’ve probably heard stories about her from Thor. Her lovesick puppy of an intern isn’t with her, so, _maybe_ he’s out of the picture now.”  The redhead stepped further into the Tower penthouse and her eyes narrowed.  “Wait.  Hold that thought, Cap.  There’s… something you ought to know… I think…”

The beautiful girl turned to look at them.  Beside her and clinging to her tightly, Clint chortled and patted her pronounced baby bump.  “Surprised, Nat?  So’s the Virgin Mary, here…” 

The girl’s creamy skin suffused red. “Stop!  No angel visitations here, not a one...” She put her hands against her cheeks, as though to hide the blush.

Clint shrugged.  “No.  But you haven’t ever had sex, either.  If it’s not a miracle, then maybe it’s a curse…”  He muttered to himself, “like ‘ _Rosemary’s Bab_ y’, but virginal…” Her large blue eyes gleamed with sudden unshed tears, prompting Clint to stammer an apology.  He wasn’t quite fast enough to stop Natasha from smacking him in the head and cursing his careless tongue.  He protested, “Hey! Before her latest mood shift, she was laughing at jokes like that.”

Natasha dodged around the couch quickly and knelt in front of the girl.  “I knew you were hiding something when we touched base online a few weeks ago. I didn’t guess this, though. How far along are you?  Are you well?  Who’s the father?  Someone in London? Do I need to hurt someone? Take someone out for you?”

Steve heard more sweet laughter through tears as the brunette reached out to HUG Natasha.  He stilled.  People didn’t hug Natasha.  It just wasn’t something that many people thought to do.  But, Natasha didn’t resist or hold back.  She… absolutely melted against the other woman.  Natasha Romanoff, hardened assassin, moaned with unabashed need, “I have missed you so much.  Oh!  _Hugs, and cuddles, and touch! Oh my…_ ”  Natasha’s grin was giddy as she fairly sang the words.

‘ _Lions and tigers, and bears, oh my_ ’ from ‘ _The Wizard of Oz’_ … came to mind as Steve listened.

The beauty laughed and shook her head as she ran her hands up and down Natasha’s strong, slender back.  “I didn’t want to worry you.  You’ve had so much on your mind since D.C., and then… other stuff. The past few years, since we met in New Mexico really, have been crazier and crazier. I AM well.  I feel better than I ever have, as if pregnancy is a cure-all for me.  I swear, my vision’s better now and my allergies are gone, too.  As sweet as your offer of homicide is? Sorry.  He’s already dead.  Hit by a helicarrier at the Triskelion, or crashing parts of the building itself, or something. Apparently my SHIELD-issue gynecologist knocked me out and… sort of knocked me up. He artificially inseminated me, I mean.”  She put out a cautioning hand, expression serious. “He didn’t… rape me. But, he was less SHIELD issue and more Hydra, and apparently sci-curious about my uterus for reasons beyond me.  There was something in his notes about my blood type, some insulting observations about the span of my hips, and way too much interest in my lack of experience, which he actually labeled a ‘ _lack of prior contamination_ ,’ if you can believe it! So, now I’m carrying a mystery Cracker Jack prize baby.  I can’t have amnio.  My mom miscarried really easily. So, I just- can’t…”

Natasha sat back on her haunches, holding the girl’s hands tight.  “Is someone pressuring you to keep it?”

The girl shook her head.  “No.  In fact, everyone tried to make me NOT keep it.”  She swallowed hard and shifted in her seat with restless discomfort and a plea in her voice. “But, I was a few months along when I figured out that my lack of periods wasn’t just a stress thing from evading Dark Elf universe-ending and murder.  Like I said, I feel fantastic. And then I heard the heartbeat, and…”  She blinked back tears and gulped a slight sob, then laughed helplessly. “You should have seen the intern I was dating run out the door like a cartoon!  Vroom!”  Quick hand gestures matched her words, and her facial expression shifted again.  “They say I’m crazy, but I feel different.  I started feeling flutters earlier than should be possible; feeling like it was part of me.  I swear.  I can feel the baby.”  She gave Natasha a rueful, apologetic smile and placed a protective open palm over her protruding belly.

Natasha nodded once.  “Okay.  Then you’ll keep it, and raise it, and we will protect you both.”  She gestured with her head.  “That’s Steve.  He thinks you’re pretty, Darcy.”

Darcy turned her bright eyes to Steve, blushed sweetly, and lowered her gaze.  “Hi!  Thanks for that! Don’t mind me.  I’m just Jane Foster’s mysteriously pregnant, unpaid intern and Pop Tart fetcher.”

Ducking his head in awkward acknowledgment, Steve managed a wave and to untie his tongue enough to greet her.  “Hi, Darcy.  I’m Steve.”

Clint pulled Darcy’s attention from Steve as he protested.  “Kid!  Don’t forget that you’re the cuddle champion, and, it’s still my turn. Nat! Go away.”  He pulled Darcy into his well-muscled arms again and laid his head on hers, letting out a whimper of pleasure as she hugged him.

After a moment, Darcy elbowed him.  “You should probably get home to the wife and kids, Hawk Guy.  There are others in need of cuddles.  This room is abuzz with need.  Bzz!  Bzz! Natasha’s near tears, a thing that NEVER happens, and I’m getting all sorts of noise off the new-to-me hero. You know I tune in to others’ feelings…”

Natasha shook her head and shoved at Clint’s shoulder.  “Shoo! You ceded your place when you referenced a cheesy, late-60’s horror flick and made her cry, Doofus.  I haven’t had champion-level cuddling in months.”  She forced her body between Darcy and Clint and curled in tightly to hug the pregnant woman again, muttering, “And, I was on the grid and of use in that whole Hydra debacle, not puttering around the farm ignoring all messages.”  The couch was suddenly crowded with jostling limbs.

Darcy giggled.  “Geez, Natasha!  Give a girl some warning… and be careful of my bladder.  It’s shrunk to the size of a peanut, and gets smaller every month.”  She shifted between the two spy-sassins, a hand on each of them as she teased.  “Ugh.  Needy super heroes!  I hope to trade cuddles for quality, mystery-baby sitting at a later date.” Behind Darcy’s head, Clint and Natasha exchanged worried glances.  Darcy yelped, jerked back one arm, and shoved Natasha abruptly.  “Ow! Fuck! Someone’s got a rogue knife.  I just got a finger stick.”  She put the finger in her mouth to suck on the small cut.  Weapons were secured better and apologies made.

Steve sat gingerly on a nearby chair and stared.  Natasha nearly purred as she pressed against Darcy’s side.  His experiences with Natasha so far had not prepared him for this.  Clint was bumped to the floor, in part because he was keeping Darcy safe, and in part because he was laughing so hard.  The affection between Darcy and both agents was obvious.  Natasha’s expression became smug as Darcy cradled her close and made low, soothing noises.  There were words interspersed with nonsense comfort sounds.  Natasha’s breath caught as she snuggled closer. 

It looked comfortable and soothing.  He thought he could watch the cuddly scene all day, but Steve couldn’t help the sigh of longing that escaped him.

Natasha sat up, a grumpy expression twisting her face.  “Fine!  I agree.  You’re the most touch-deprived of us all.  Get your perfect ass over here.”  She pointed at the couch.

Steve shook his head and held up his hands defensively.  “I’m fine where I am.”  Looking away, he tried to hide the blush suffusing his face and creeping down his neck.  He focused on the sight of a plane in the distance, contrail cutting a jagged rip across the sky.

Darcy’s lips twisted to a wry grin.  “Yup. You’re **_fine_** wherever you are.”  She snorted a giggle as he blushed even more. Her gaze dropped to her finger. A raised brow betrayed her surprise. The cut there was almost invisible. “Huh? Well, it felt worse than that.”

Natasha rolled her eyes.  “Steve… Relax!  I’m not trying to set you up.  Darcy’s at a sensitive juncture in her life and not looking for romance.  There’s no ulterior motive.  I’m actually being incredibly selfless.”  She turned to Darcy, expression serious.  “He lay alone at the cold edge of consciousness for almost seventy years.  Heedless of my attempts to help him move on from grieving, he hardly dates.  His long-lost best friend was Hydra-brainwashed and tried to kill him when they met again.  He has nothing in his life but saving people, trying to make the world safer, and occasional visits with his elderly first love.  He needs a cuddle in the worst way.” Darcy’s eyes brimmed with tears while Steve squirmed with discomfort and shook his head.

He huffed an embarrassed, heavy sigh of protest.  “Natasha! It wasn’t… It’s not…” Steve’s thoughts raced.  He wanted to deny Natasha’s stark assessment of his suffering, but her words weren’t false, however much he hated the truth in them and the pity they evoked.  He’d hoped to be done with being on the receiving end of pity after the serum.  ‘ _Poor, little lad…_ ’  A ghostly echo, nearly a century old, sounded in his head and caused him to flinch.

Clint shook his head.  “Christ! I need a cuddle just from HEARING about all that, Cap.”  A sorrowful pout overtook the archer’s usual murderous look.

Steve sat even straighter, his grin tight and polite as he fought to control his blushing discomfort.  He considered bolting from the room. “Please, ladies.  Don’t let me interfere.  I was just…”

A pleading look washed over Darcy’s face.  Her lower lip protruded and she teetered on the edge of tears again.  “May I _please_ give you a hug?”  She held her arms open to him and made grabby hands.

***

_to be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to visit my tumblr for assorted Chris Evans/other beautiful stuff/the occasional ShieldShock ficlet. [GlynnisIsta8 on tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/glynnisi)


	2. A hug that’ll change your life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cuddles and touches are exchanged for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Thanks for the wonderful reception of this little fluff-monster piece. I LOVE comments. :)
> 
> Thanks, again, to Aenaria for beta help and McGregorsWench for the sweet prompt.
> 
> Please feel free to visit my tumblr for assorted Chris Evans/other beautiful stuff/the occasional ShieldShock ficlet. [GlynnisIsta8 on tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/glynnisi)

**Chapter 2- A hug that’ll change your life**

Clint glared at Steve, arms crossed over his chest.  He gestured with his head.  “Don’t be an idiot. Take it, Cap.  Take the hug.”

Natasha nodded and stood, leaving an empty spot by Darcy.  “It’s okay, Steve.  Let her hug you.  It’ll change your life.”

Off-balance, Steve frowned.  “Are you guys trolling me?”

Darcy shook her head and continued to reach for him with a plea in her eyes.  He believed _she_ was sincere, odd as it seemed since he’d just met her.  He was just accustomed to sniping from team mates, not seeing them with their metaphorical shields down.

Feeling silly, he stood and moved to the couch to sit by Darcy.  She took his large hand in her much smaller one and rubbed his arm with her other hand.  Without intending to, he braced himself. Her laugh was low and throaty, a sound that flowed easily from her.  “It’s okay.  I promise not to hurt you.”    Her thumb rubbed firm circles on his hand, learning where his palm was smooth and where it was calloused.  Strange warmth curled through him.  _Touch._   He hadn’t given it much thought. Nobody touched him except to fight, or occasionally to attempt unwanted seduction…  One of her hands ran up his arm, soothing. Her perfume wafted lightly, clean and fresh.

He ducked his head, grinning shyly.  “Okay…”  She put his head against her shoulder.  Her hands moved up the back of his neck as she pulled him in.  “Ohhhh… Is she telling the truth? When is the last time someone touched or hugged you?”  She squeezed him close into a hug that somehow encompassed his heart as much as his body.  Her low murmurs held nothing of pity, just focused intent to give comfort and fix the problem. His reservations and embarrassment were soon forgotten.

He never wanted to move away.

Steve shook his head the slightest bit, dismissive of her question.  Then, as Darcy rocked him against her, he began to relax more.  His breathing stuttered, a slight catch of acceptance that she savored. She wasn’t being inappropriate, just **giving** human warmth and affection.  Her touch soothed needs he hadn’t acknowledged in decades.  Noises she made touched something deep inside his soul… and he uncoiled more.  His eyes closed as one of her hands stroked and rubbed the hard muscles at the base of his neck.  His mind flashed to a memory of his Ma, and his eyes burned.  “You’ll make a fantastic mother.” he whispered.

Vocalizing a thankful coo, Darcy stilled when a sharp pressure thumped between them.  Her eyes went wide.

Steve’s voice filled with wonder.  “Was that the baby?”  He realized that death was common to him and new life… almost alien.

Immediately, Natasha’s hand was on Darcy’s belly.  Nothing.

Darcy’s grip on Steve tightened.  “You felt it.”  Natasha moved back, frowning.

He nodded.  “Strong baby.”  His grin was full of admiration.  “That was amazing.”

Her eyes gleamed with excitement.  “It was!”

He could feel her shake with emotion as she resumed the comforting hugging and touching.  Protectiveness came to the fore.  Having a woman shaking against him with maternal love ignited instincts he’d not given thought before. He wondered if some of his emotion was also caused by Darcy’s touches and cuddles.  He now understood why the others described her as a champion cuddler.  It was more than muscle relaxation, much more. She somehow had him so boneless against her by this point that she could firmly massage his head, too.  He was happily helpless. The only tension left in him was his determination to quell noises of contentment.

Steve startled slightly as Tony approached them, laughing.  But, quickly, he relaxed again into Darcy’s strong strokes on his head.  Tony turned to Clint.  “Thanks for the text. You’re right.  It’s worth seeing.  Has he forgotten himself enough to purr yet?”

Clint shook his head, grinning.  “Nope.  He’s still fighting that. But, she’s just getting started on him. You know how it is.”

Tony chuckled knowingly, saluted Steve, and nodded to Darcy.  “Cap, Lewis. I thought we might order in some dinner and watch football.  You two in?”

Darcy rubbed at the overworked muscles in Steve’s brow.  She’d heard about his near-constant expressions of indignation with Tony.  “Yep.  I just need to keep down the spice level.  Baby-induced heartburn is the pits.”  She grinned as Steve let out a small groan of pleasure.  She wouldn’t be human if she didn’t love it every time a mighty super hero surrendered to her touch.

Tony flippantly teased, “If you don’t like it hot in there, you shouldn’t have kept the spawn of Satan.”  He turned to Clint and let the archer pick a few items from the menu on Tony’s StarkPad.

Darcy tensed. Steve put a comforting hand on her lower back.  He felt her press back against his hand, so he rubbed her tight muscles.  She let out a soft groan.  “Your hand is so warm and strong.  That feels amaze-balls.  I had back aches even before baby.  That’s the only discomfort I have these days, and it’s on and off, but it’s a doozy.”

Tony made an explanatory, descriptive curvy gesture with his hands and commented to Steve.  “Even before the Bad Seed came along, Lewis put the _voom_ in ‘ _va va voom_ ’.  Backaches are a small price to pay for looking like a dish out of a 40’s pin-up calendar.”  Tony winked at Darcy teasingly. She rolled her eyes at him and blew a raspberry his way. Clint passed Steve the StarkPad.  

Frowning at Tony, Steve let Darcy see the menu, too, and continued to rub her back with light pressure.  She closed her eyes and sighed.  “The rest of you can do without the Captain, can’t you?  I’m just gonna keep him here for the sake of my back from now until after the baby comes. You guys save the world on your own.” Natasha laughed.

Steve worked out a kink in Darcy’s back and earned a happy noise from her that caused the baby to kick again.  He saw the movement and murmured.  “Fantastic.  Go, kid!”  She relaxed into his touch.  Pride swelled in him that he could return the gift of soothing reassurance that Darcy gave so freely.  It mingled with the new sensation of undemanding, simple human touch.  It felt good.

***

_to be continued..._


	3. Evening up Steve’s cuddle-bank balance…

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Darcy get to know each other better.

From then on, it became common for Steve to jockey among the others for cuddling rights with Darcy.  His pleas for attention often had a snarky and sneaky quality that made her giggle. During team movie nights he angled to start conversations with her just as people took their seats, so it seemed natural for him to ease in by her.  His face was the picture of innocence when Tony called him out on it, but as soon as Tony’s attention was elsewhere, Darcy saw Steve’s lips twitch with less-than-innocent mirth. When challenged by the others, Steve often won out by virtue of the quality of his back rubs.  It was easier for him to accept her cuddles when he could relieve her tension in return. 

Darcy defended his antics. “Steve’s cuddle bank is still in a severe deficit.” While she was less prone to tears over his long-unmet need to be touched, it was a close thing sometimes when he leaned into her caress. 

He wasn't prone to complaining, but when the temperatures dropped to icy levels or the Avengers returned from battle in a particularly cold location, he didn’t resist Darcy’s insistence on wrapping him in warm blankets and fussing over him.  Steve thought that Fate was kind to bring the Avengers someone who took so much pleasure from comforting them.

Though Darcy didn’t say much about it, Steve also thought she liked cuddle time with him because the baby so often kicked when she and Steve sat together.  Her increasing belly fascinated him. Sometimes he unconsciously rested his hand there to savor the energetic movements from within.  When he bumped hands with Darcy while they both enjoyed baby’s flutters, she’d glance at him with happy commiseration before turning her eyes back to whatever was on the screen.

***

Late one night, Darcy entered the darkened common room in search of milk and a midnight snack.  Steve sat ramrod-straight on the couch, facing the blank TV screen.  She poured a tall glass of milk and sipped, then ate a cereal bar.  “Would you like some milk?”

Steve shrugged, quietly unhappy.  “I guess…”  His voice broke, straining against darkness within as the nightmare that had woken him played on in his mind.

She crossed to him and handed him a cool glass.  He gulped it down so fast she wondered, "do you get brain freeze?"  She sank down on the couch next to him as he set the empty glass aside.  “Can I…?  Oof!”  She cried out as he grabbed her.  Pressed half-lying against the arm of the couch with his head on her chest and his arms wrapped around her, she held him close. He shook with emotion.  Outside the window, clouds skittered across the moon while she kissed Steve's brow, waited for him to regain control, and stroked his silky hair.  “Hey!  It’s okay. I got ya.”  She paused.  “It could take a really long time for your cuddle bank balance to even out, couldn’t it?”

He nodded miserably, struggling to hold himself together. Finally, he whispered “Bucky. He was my friend.” 

Cradling him close and stroking with gentle skims of her fingers, Darcy sighed.  “Tell me?”

So, he did. He told her what Bucky suffered and was forced to do… horrors he could only read and revile in merciless words on the page… the gut punch when he realized that he’d been fighting his best friend in the streets of D.C.  He shared all that kept him awake, his failures, and his guilt and fears. He shared his frustration that Bucky evaded him once free from Hydra influence, despairing that his friend would never come back to him, perhaps blamed and hated him. He talked that night more than Darcy or any of the others in the Tower had ever heard from him before.  She only stepped away for quick bathroom breaks, and then returned to hold him and listen more.

As the nightmare lost its hold on him, he shared other things.  Darcy chuckled over his stories of Peggy Carter decking a jerk in training camp, terrorizing soldiers with her implacable standards, and keeping Steve on his toes during the war.  Tears pooled in Darcy’s eyes as Steve carefully chose his words regarding Peggy’s dementia and the grief of their first meeting after he woke on this side of the divide of time. In the silences between his anguished words, she imagined the horror of dementia forcing them to relive that meeting again and again. The darkness faded to a thinner gray by the time he quieted and her eyes closed.

As the sun rose, Steve carried a sleeping Darcy back to her room.  He left her tucked in her bed with a kiss on the cheek, and a whispered, “thank you, Sweetness.” 

Both of them woke for midnight snacks often, and those quiet times together became a ‘ _thing_ ’ for them.  Sometimes they shared nightmares, other nights laughed over dreams or commonplace events from their days.  Whispers of their secrets and silly nothings filled the hours and opened each to the other.

When Darcy had bad days where the fatigue from the changes in her body overwhelmed, she often fell asleep in the common room clinging to Steve.  The sight of them entangled there was a source of amusement to the others. A shift in group dynamics occurred that had the others plotting their turn at her non Steve-occupied side for cuddle time.

When Darcy had more energy during non-work hours, she read or knitted soft blankets and cozy winter wear. Almost every Avenger had a Darcy-made scarf, cap, and set of gloves.  Clint’s were purple and black.  Natasha wore black with red threads.  Bruce had a set in vivid green. Tony had insisted on his trademark bright red and gold. 

A grumpy look contorted Darcy’s face. “I can’t believe I haven’t knitted for you, Steve!  I don’t care how blessedly warm you run.  My mom always said scarves are like portable hugs.  You need one.  Hmmm… what colors?”

Steve’s smile was soft with affection, his gaze firmly on Darcy as usual.  “Hugs to go? I’d like that, so long as they’re your hugs.”

Natasha rolled her eyes and put a hand over Tony’s mouth.  She’d forbidden him to push on Darcy and Steve in a way that would interrupt their natural flow towards each other, regardless of its glacier-like pace.  Steve understood why Tony kept comparing him to a glacier, and that was enough for now.  She didn’t mind that much if Tony prodded Steve, so long as he didn’t give Darcy discomfort. 

Tony wiggled his lips and mustache on purpose to tickle her hand, causing Natasha to tighten her grip. Once Natasha released Tony (after she was sure that her death glare threat had been received and understood), he suggested, “ya gotta go with a patriotic color scheme.  He’s Captain America, Yankee Doodle, born on the fourth of July.”

Darcy glanced up and noticed Steve staring at her.  Flustered, she replied, “well, the birthday argument makes the most sense of that patriotic word salad.”

Natasha offered, “It might be better to go with navy and battleship gray, like on the stealth Cap uniform.  I heard too many SHIELD agents swoon over that to count it out, despite the association with questionable SHIELD/Hydra ops.”  Steve frowned and shifted in his seat, discomfited by the reminder that he’d worked for and with Hydra. He understood Natasha’s point, however.  His hearing was good.  Comments, gasps of wonder and lust, even muttered cursing- those reactions had been noted and mulled over.

Clint blurted.  “What about a rainbow, or a pink/blue/lavender motif?”

Darcy froze.   Tony snorted a laugh and leaned closer, avidly curious.  Bruce looked up from his work, a half-smile on his lips. Jane explained the comment to Thor, the meanings associated with those color combinations.  There was quiet in the lounge and obvious questioning looks from Sam, Rhodey, and Clint.

Steve shook his head, only a slight blush in his cheeks, mostly from realizing everyone in the room was scrutinizing him.  “I wouldn’t want to co-opt color combinations that have specific meaning to other people.”  Sam cursed and handed Rhodey money.  Thor whispered something to Jane. Steve grinned and shrugged.  “It’s been suggested too many times for me not to look up what those mean.  I wasn’t close to my fellow soldiers that way.” 

Touching Darcy’s arm gently, he suggested, “maybe just a lighter blue?  I don’t need to wear Cap colors out of uniform.”  She bit her lip to hide a grin as she picked a blue that she thought would bring out Steve’s eyes.  His whisper warmed her ear.  “I’ve trolled others about my… preference, for being nosey. I just needed time to grieve all I lost, but, well… Women… I…”  He wanted to say more, but became tongue-tied as he tripped over his innate awkwardness and burgeoning feelings. 

Darcy kissed his cheek and started her project.  She murmured to herself, “…enough left of that same blue for a little hat for baby…” 

Steve’s expression shifted, a secretly-nurtured wish making it hard for him to breathe.

Natasha patted Steve on the shoulder as she walked by.  “Pay up, Barton.  I told you your speculations about the Howling Commandos were wrong.”

Steve snorted with raucous laughter. Whether it was from disbelief that someone thought Howling Commandos were gay, straight, or bi-sexual- he declined to say.

***

_to be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, again, to Aenaria for beta help and McGregorsWench for the prompt... and to all the wonderful people who leave comments. Comments are LOVELY. :)
> 
> McGregorsWench- I put your knitting into this chapter. It's a little different than what you had in the prompt for REASONS (see fic title). ;) I'll share the original, detailed prompt with the final chapter...


	4. From fondness to something more...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More cuddling, through Halloween and post battles/missions. Steve and Darcy grow closer still...
> 
>  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider this one a pre-game appetizer. ;) 
> 
>  
> 
>   
>   
> 

In the weeks leading up to Halloween, Steve caught up on what the others referred to as ‘ _essential_ ’ horror movie viewing and helped Darcy prep candy bags to hand out to Trick or Treaters.  He was quietly horrified over some of the gruesome (alien baby bursting from her, baby body parts sticking out the sides of her belly, a devil tail sticking out one side and horns the other) costume ideas Tony and Clint suggested for Darcy. 

Darcy scowled.  “Ugh!  No.  Despite your oh-so-funny ideas, this is not a horror show.  Those would be too scary for the kids coming to the Tower for candy and silly-spooky good times.  My little pumpkin will be decorated as a big, happy pumpkin.”  Steve smiled at that declaration. Her choice sounded much better to him, more appropriate.  He was delighted to help her by painting her rounded belly as a happy Jack o’ Lantern. 

Wearing a green beret and an orange t-shirt dress with a hole cut out in front, Darcy called Steve to her place for assistance.  She giggled as they worked together to spread orange paint all over her bared skin with their hands, and even more as Steve used a brush to paint the face pattern. 

Steve protested.  “Stop laughing!  You’re messing me up.”  As the paint brush touched another ticklish spot, Darcy shook with giggles and pulled away.  Steve’s hand at her back pulled her close to him again.  “You’re changing the look of the eyes, doing that.  Hold still for baby.  You want it to look good.  Don’t you?”  Darcy nodded, lips tight as she let out a high, continuous noise of mirthful protest and forced herself to hold still.  Steve hurried as much as he could and muttered reassurances and praise that helped her through. The resulting design was whimsical.  Through the haze of Darcy's laughter, her fondness shifted to something more as she watched Steve put final touches on his drawing, face scrunched in concentration over each detail.

Modern Halloween was full of customs new to Steve, but he enjoyed both Darcy’s and the costumed kids’ enthusiasm.  Tony had the lobby of the Tower decorated elaborately, with funny ghost and monster decorations, fog and lighting effects, and cartoonishly-spooky music. Pepper checked to make sure Tony didn’t screw it up or go too far. The Avengers wore their uniforms.  They and their friends (kids too shy to approach an Avenger, even for sweets, skirted the hero group in the middle and asked the others for candy) handed out hundreds of pounds of candy. It made for a bustling party as more and more kids stopped in for candy and celebration with the Avengers.  Afterwards, the left-over candy delighted them all, especially Thor and Steve.  Darcy marveled at their massive candy consumption. (Everyone except Tony was just diplomatic enough to refrain from mentioning the astonishing amount _she_ put away.)

***

After longer or tougher missions, most of the Avengers needed time before they could accept cuddles or hugs.  Thor was the exception.  He sought Darcy immediately, spent fifteen minutes hugging and cuddling her against his massive frame while getting her detailed insight on Jane’s state of mind, and went to Jane once he felt adequately prepared to meet the needs of his beloved.

Sam would shower, and eat and drink his fill.  Once his base-level needs were met, he would send Darcy a text and ask to meet her in one of the common areas.   Then, he would spend approximately one hour with her.  He traded on his natural charm and humor, too, cheering her up and making her giggle. Sam shared happy stories while they cuddled, to remind himself of good things as much as to make Darcy laugh. 

Tony needed to reassert his sense of self control first.  He locked himself away in his workshop to make things to prevent the worst of what they saw from happening again, whenever possible.  Once he had enough of a breakthrough to calm the worst of his fears, he scurried to Darcy’s side for cuddles.  She hugged him, complaining loudly, “Eww!  Stinky-hug alert. If people knew what you smell like after a few rounds in Iron Man armor, they’d stop sending you so much fan mail.  You, oh Man of Iron, are the stinkiest Avenger.”  He laughed off her complaints, but took the hint and grabbed a shower before settling in with Pepper.

Bruce, since his reluctant return to the Avengers, isolated himself more than ever.  After a mission where Hulk was needed, he would spend hours in his lab and in meditation before he returned to company with the others at all.  He would only allow Darcy to touch him when Avengers, preferably Steve or Thor, were in the room to keep her safe. 

Clint spent days at his farm before returning from missions, now that the Avengers knew his secrets.  People could gauge the difficulty of a given mission by the number of restorative days with family he required before he was back in the Tower, cracking wise and making bad jokes again.  When he returned, he had fresh-baked foods for all and hand-sewn gifts from his wife for Darcy.  Laura made oversized, lightweight fleece baby blankets that Darcy loved.

Natasha disappeared as well, though only for a matter of hours at a time.  Most people imagined she was angrily honing her skills, to be even more deadly.  Instead, Natasha slipped into one of her new covers. Natasha, self-sufficient and capable in every way, set out to assuage her regret that she would never have children. While fulfilling long-ignored needs, she gave freely of her talents. Most days, she was ‘ _Mistress Natalia_ ’, teaching pre-ballet to children as young as age three at the Joffrey Ballet.  Overjoyed to have someone of her caliber, the Joffrey kept a substitute on staff to cover her classes as needed.  On nights of her choosing, ‘ _Natalie Lanier_ ’ volunteered at Mt. Sinai Children’s Hospital (near Avengers Tower).  She read stories to children or played games with them, or simply sat with them while their parents took a break from bedside vigil. After either or both of those self-assigned joys, Natasha arranged to watch movies with Darcy for hours of quality cuddles.

Steve slipped in for hugs with Darcy repeatedly, between the others, and tried to be available when Bruce needed him there, too.  Watching others cuddle Darcy left Steve antsy with need.  But, he respected Bruce’s caution for Darcy’s safety… and found it on his own mind more and more.  Her well-being took up space in his thoughts a fair portion of the time.  Early on, he thought that if he gave even a tenth of what he got from her, he could bear to accept the warm comfort she offered.

Gradually, however, he admitted to himself that there was something more to it.

Darcy’s favorite snack foods in hand, he would find her after Thor’s cuddle huddle and make sure she was well.  He always made a point of showering and donning soft clothes, so she might enjoy their cuddle times.  Each offered comfort to the other while they chatted and touched.  She settled his emotions after battle.  He reassured her that their friends were uninjured.  If one of the others was inconsiderate of her needs, Steve stepped in as Darcy wanted.  And, when she had given so much of herself that she was exhausted, he made sure she got home to rest.  Steve had never enjoyed a self-appointed responsibility quite so much.  He didn’t put a label on his feelings for Darcy yet, but knew they grew daily.

By Thanksgiving, Steve was spending time alone with Darcy at her place on a regular basis.  It started with him bringing food, either take-out or ingredients for them to cook together.  Darcy’s claim of eating for two had her eating nearly as much as Steve, though she somehow only gained the minimum weight needed for the baby’s well being. Darcy took on the task of filling holes in Steve’s movie and TV series education.  And, they cuddled and hugged and cuddled. 

Natasha jokingly asked, “Hasn’t Steve’s cuddle bank balance evened out yet?”  Darcy wrinkled her nose and shook her head in reply.  Natasha whispered, “and when will it?”  Darcy shrugged and failed to look completely innocent.

Steve shamelessly fell into Darcy’s arms again and again. He didn’t mind it when Tony teased, “Cap’s smiling more these days.  It’s weirding me out.”

***

_to be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timing clarification- I'm grudgingly accepting AoU as something that happened, but moving it up into 2014 and skimming it since I didn't like it much (cool action & Steve looked great, but... bad characterizations, imo). I guess I'm erasing Iron Man 3 (oops), but this story is Darcy/Steve-centric/AU by definition... and just for fun. :)


	5. Life paused for a moment, just for them...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Darcy struggle with their changing feelings. Ultrasound reveals that she's having a boy.
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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aenaria for beta help. I added some after she fixed things, so mistakes are mine. ;)  
> Thanks McGregorsWench for the lovely prompt.
> 
> Thanks to all who are reading, leaving Kudos, and giving lovely Comments! :)

Though touch was a foundation of Steve and Darcy’s relationship, its nature began to shift. They both began to blush and stammer from time to time while cuddling.  They ignored soft flutters of passion deep inside and tasted desire’s edge a little more each day.  But, each of them thought the other only wanted friendship. Steve worried that Natasha’s initial assessment would prove correct, that Darcy was at too sensitive a moment in her life to welcome the complication of him wanting more from her.  Darcy feared that her feelings must be unrequited and might even be viewed as ridiculous, given her current predicament.

Darcy became more aware of the perfectly-sculpted muscles under her eager hands.  She noticed angles and planes of his body with more than just friendly or aesthetic appreciation.  Her lips tingled longingly as she slaked his need for touch and discovered her new need to touch him.  Occasionally, she gave in to the temptation to brush her lips against his temple, his cheek, once or twice even against the delicious skin of his neck.  Silently, she wanted him, and she berated herself for it.

The constraints of gentlemanly behavior began to chafe at Steve.  Darcy's accidental-seeming kisses inflamed him. He kissed Darcy’s forehead or her hand while wishing to slant his lips over hers hungrily, instead. Darcy’s sweetness warmed his heart first.  Then, the combination of her mirth-filled eyes, beautiful lips, shapely breasts, and pert ass became his obsession.  He shifted discreet pillows between them as he could, wore jeans instead of sweat pants to better camouflage his lustful response, and often needed to sit and cool his ardor after she left his embrace in company. He worried how he would behave after the baby came and Darcy regained her usual figure, a tantalizing thought that seeped into his dreams.

Tony and Clint noticed, of course, and had a series of running jokes at Steve’s expense. One or the other often saluted Steve’s lap inappropriately and played with words… asking ‘ _what’s up?_ ’, calling Steve a ‘ _stand-up guy_ ’, and jesting that something left him ‘ _more stiff and upright than ever_ ’.  The only saving grace was that neither would behave badly when Darcy, Jane, or Pepper was present.  Steve overheard Sam calling the two down a time or two.

The developing tension affected everyone.  Tony begged Pepper to work in New York so she was with him more than usual.  Clint eventually took a vacation with his family.  Jane allowed Thor to woo her more.  Bruce avoided being in the Avengers’ Lounge when Steve and Darcy were there together.

Natasha was losing patience.  She considered banging Steve and Darcy’s heads together and blurting out the truth.  But, she insisted, “they need to find their way on their own and in their own time.”

Full of frustration and trying to burn excess energy, Steve was working out harder than ever before. One morning as Steve passed him for the fifth time during their daily run, calling, “on your left!” Sam had borne enough in the name of friendship.  Steve halted at Sam’s reply.  “Hey, Cap! More than three times as fast puts you over the line into _bullying_ me.” 

Steve turned back, distress apparent on his face and in his voice.  “Sam!  No! I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean…”  He jogged back to Sam as he spoke. 

Sam shook his head and grinned, noting that Steve wasn’t even out of breath.  He clapped a hand on Steve’s shoulder and looked him firmly in the eye.  “Stop what you’ve been doing, Steve.  Stop worrying that your desires are inappropriate. Regardless of what the Hydra doc thought, Darcy’s not just a baby machine.  She’s a woman.  Man up and admit that you’re into her.  Ask her out… or kiss her.  Just, do something!  You’re killing us all with the tension and self doubt, both of you.”

Hands on his hips and brow deeply furrowed, Steve met Sam’s gaze.  “Both of us?”

Sam nodded.  “She’s got it just as bad, stares after you every time you leave a room, sighs way too much, and can’t say enough good stuff about you. Seein' as how I know how crazy you are, it gets old.”  Steve’s face lit up with wonder while Sam shook his head. “For a thick-headed super-soldier, you’re not bad. But, somehow, she thinks you hung the moon.”  He poked Steve in the chest.  “Now, do your crazy Warp Speed thing and leave me to my misery.  Natasha’s gonna have my hide.  She wanted you to figure things out on your own.”

Steve tried to reassure Sam, though he could hardly focus on what he was saying. 

Sam laughed at him.  “Oh, fine. NOW you’re out of breath!”

***

While they watched a movie the next night at her place, Darcy turned to say something to Steve. A muscle in his cheek jumped as he squeezed her tighter. She gasped as she realized how close her lips were to his and stared, wanting. Her cheeks suffused red as she struggled to think clearly. Stillness hung in the air, as though life paused for a moment, just for them.  She licked her lips and tried to quell her shivers of desire.

She failed.

He cupped her jaw with one hand and sighed, “May I…?” His fingers trembled, too.

Darcy closed the distance between them. Their lips finally met.  Then, his soft kisses on her forehead and cheeks shifted to hungry grazes of his lips and teeth along the soft column of her throat.  He found a sensitive spot there and nipped at it, drinking up her every response. Darcy indulged as well, playfully sucking Steve’s ear lobe and running her hands over his muscles with new purpose.  Darcy was mute with happy disbelief at first, but unwilling to discourage him from what she assumed might be temporary insanity on his part.  She wanted him too much (hormones had swung a whole new way by this point, and she was more passionate than ever before).   Tentative touches became sure as they each moaned with enthusiastic and encouraging approval. Occasionally, one or the other’s natural awkwardness led them to laugh together. They made out for the rest of the night, hardly noticing when the movie ended. 

As she leaned against her door jamb and he forced himself to leave, Steve grazed a soft kiss along her knuckles.  “Good night, Darcy.  I, uh… Maybe we should watch that movie again?”

She giggled and hopelessly smoothed her disheveled hair.  “If you want me to let you see it, we might need to watch it with the others.” Her lips were kiss-swollen and her gaze hungry as she looked up at him.

A shaky laugh blended into his words.  “I don’t mind if it takes a while to get through the movie.”  He made it a few feet down the hall before he turned back with a plea in his eyes.  “Tomorrow night?”

Grinning breathlessly, she nodded.

When Darcy discussed the make-out session with Natasha, the Avenger only shrugged and offered reassurance that Steve wasn’t crazy and that he obviously desired her.  Darcy noticed a manic gleam in Natasha’s eye, though, and pressed for more.  Finally, Natasha laughed and cheered her, “It’s about time!  You’ve both wanted it for ages. The sexual tension’s been getting to everyone.”

Darcy winced sheepishly, “Oh! That’s why people have been glaring.”  Her expression shifted to a small grin as she took reassurance from her friend’s words. 

***

The Avengers didn’t know much about Steve in romantic situations, but they knew him to be honorable.  Natasha, Clint, and Jane still took turns letting him know that if he wasn’t 100% sincere and careful with Darcy, they’d find ways to hurt him.  Thor knew Steve was listening one morning as he assured Jane, “I trust Steven. He is a good man and smart enough to know that my lightning sister is under my filial protection.” Steve smiled and offered Thor a respectful salute of acknowledgment.

Steve and Darcy’s passionate cuddles continued unabated and increased in daring and intensity.

Thanksgiving morning found Darcy’s ankles too swollen for her to cook as she’d intended.  The baby was growing rapidly and her body was working to catch up. She rested in a chair, feet propped up, in the Avengers’ kitchen and gave specific directions to Tony, Bruce, Jane, and Pepper.  Steve alternated between fetching items the others needed and rubbing Darcy’s back and legs.  He endured teasing when he couldn’t stop himself from giving Darcy the occasional kiss.

Bruce assured them all that Darcy was handling the pregnancy well.  When Darcy privately inquired if sex was safe, she was almost taken aback at his fervent reply. “Please, do!  There’s no risk to you or the baby.  I’d say there’s more danger to Steve’s and your well-being if you _don’t._ ”  Darcy snorted with laughter at his assessment.

The Avengers’ lead physician, Dr. Cho, was busy in her South Korea facility, tending Pietro Maximoff’s extensive wounds and doing all in her power to coax technology along to encourage his enhanced capabilities to facilitate healing and recovery. Wanda Maximoff held vigil by her brother’s side unless absolutely needed on a mission, and updated them frequently on any hopeful developments there. Vision kept Wanda company.

So, Bruce had taken on Darcy’s care, understanding her lack of trust for unfamiliar doctors, and experienced with childbirth after his time in third-world countries.  The baby continued to measure large on ultrasounds, and all signs of his health and development were good.  There was no doubt it was a boy.  Darcy joked that he posed as if for a porn video close-up when Bruce wanted to determine the sex by 4D ultrasound.

Darcy was painfully sensitive to everyone’s reactions to her ultrasounds.  Bruce assured her that the baby looked normal, if robust. Tony joked that he thought he saw horns once too often, and was banned from talking about scans.  Jane looked fearful for her friend as size concerns increased, so Thor worried too.  Natasha and Clint held back and fretted, while trying to look unaffected. 

Only Steve looked at the images with the unreserved awe and affection Darcy felt.  He brought gifts of a plush baby baseball and other sports toys.  Though a baby shower from Jane, Natasha, and Pepper yielded many thoughtful and helpful gifts, that plush baseball was Darcy’s favorite.  She defended against Natasha’s knowing smirk, sheepishly grinning that, “it’s so soft…”

***

_to be continued..._


	6. All I Want for Christmas...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce shares test result info about changes in Darcy’s cells. In the midst of the holidays, Steve and Darcy get closer than ever.  
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One day, Bruce came to see Darcy in the lab.  Steve was at protective attention immediately as he noted Bruce’s serious demeanor.  Bruce offered an apologetic look and tried to conceal his concern better. “Darcy? Do you want to talk alone?  I have some test result info for you.”  She shook her head and put one hand on Steve’s arm and the other on Jane, both to keep them from leaving and so she could lean on them for support.  Bruce grinned tightly at each of them. “I’ve been looking at samples of your cells from your old records and stored blood, and from recent exams. There have been… changes.” 

He cleared his throat as she stared at him with anxiety-widened eyes. Bruce put a comforting hand on her arm. “Hey! It’s okay, so far, and there’s nothing to do now but keep an eye on things. Your blood and the baby’s intermingled even before you realized you were pregnant, through the placenta. That happens in every pregnancy, at about the five-week mark. In your case, it altered you.”  Bruce’s gaze dropped to Darcy’s hand as she gripped Steve with more force.  Jane took Bruce’s pad and studied his data while he continued.  “Your cells changed long before you sought my care, Darcy.  They’re fascinating. A serum of some sort is at work here.  I… hope it’s one of the better ones.  I’d like your permission to share the data with Dr. Cho, so we can confer.”  He resisted the temptation to glance Steve’s way, while Steve stayed still and quiet.  They made a point of **not** discussing the broad spectrum of serum effects with each other.  Jane made a noise of comprehension and read more, her face contorted in concentration.

Darcy’s voice was tight.  “Yeah.  Confer away. Are the changes in my cells _good?_   I mean, are they good for the baby?  Good for me?”

Bruce removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.  “So far, I think so.  Need more data... Your vitals are good.  Your health is good.  We’ll continue to evaluate.”  He glanced at Jane.  “I noticed one thing out of the ordinary in readings related to my usual studies.  I talked to Dr. Selvig already about radiation handling in your lab.”  Darcy startled and Jane eyed Bruce warily. A wry ghost of a grin crossed his face.  “I hear that sort of thing can have consequences.”

Darcy felt Steve tense.  She gave his arm a squeeze, a gesture he returned.

Standing taller, with more than a hint of defensiveness, Jane shook her head.  “My lab work is with quantum field generators, transferring molecular energy from one place to another.  I don’t do experiments on Darcy!  It’s not like I’m trying to send her to other realms.” 

Darcy cleared her throat and looked at Jane with more than a bit of accusation in her expression. “Um… Greenwich?”

Hands up, Jane winced.  “ _That_ was an accident! And, I didn’t send you to another realm.”  Steve looked from one of them to the other, brow furrowed.

Darcy rolled her eyes.  “No. But, one minute we were hiding behind a building, and then we were in the next street with a bunch of elves. You transferred my molecules.  I’m guessing that takes some sort of energy. Your scribbles are only so informative.”

Jane nodded reluctantly.  “Okay. Not on purpose!”  She looked sheepish.  “Sorry.”  Darcy nodded acceptance and shrugged, settling down once Jane owned up to her error.  Darcy wasn’t the type to hold a grudge over a mistake or dwell on things unchangeable.

Bruce sighed.  “So, what kind of energy did you use when you _accidentally_ transferred Darcy’s molecules?”  His expression shifted as he struggled to not to look accusing.

Picking at her nails and fidgeting, Jane glanced from Bruce to Steve and back.  “Darcy’s referring to the day of the Convergence.  The energy from the alignment of all Nine Realms powered my work then.  The closest match I’ve found for it on Earth is a radiation that Nitramene emits.  It’s not harmful, quite the opposite. I’ve only done limited experimentation with that this year, though.  Stark doesn’t share well sometimes.  Nitramene is one of his dad’s inventions.”  She bit her lip and narrowed her eyes as she thought back over what she knew of that energy.  Her gaze rested on Steve.  Darcy noticed and patted her belly.

Bruce nodded.  “Well, that dose of radiation likely caught the Hydra doctor’s attention… and caused him to… use **Darcy** as a test subject.”  He sighed heavily.  “Radiation… and a serum…”  He shook his head, worry visible in his features.  He looked over some data on his pad.  “Hmph.  Nitramene? Oh!”  Jane nodded.

Darcy pulled Bruce close.  “You look like you need a hug, Doc.  I could use one, too.”

Bruce smiled and relaxed against her.  “Always...”  He held her, hand splayed across the middle of her back.

Steve tentatively voiced an observation.  “My cells changed for the better.  I had a long list of ailments that went away. You said you feel great, Darcy. You’ve been doing so well.”

Darcy felt Bruce nodding agreement and relaxing more as she shrugged.  “I guess all we can do is hope things will continue to go well for me, too.”

Jane pushed into the hug Darcy was giving Bruce, her face tight with concern.  Under her breath, she murmured more apologies to her friend.

Steve stood by- watching them, worrying over Darcy’s well-being, and chastising himself for wishing so much that Darcy’s baby might be his. 

***

With December’s arrival, the weather turned colder and Christmas preparations commenced.  Darcy’s background was split, half-Christian and half-Jewish.

She chortled, “I get all the gifts!” Her family menorah adorned a window sill overlooking the busy streets far below.   She tucked an antique dreidel in the baby blue stocking she’d knitted and hung by her fireplace.

Steve helped get Darcy’s Christmas tree into her living room and lifted heavy décor for her.  Darcy was curious to see if her ‘ _serum situation_ ’ included enhancements like added strength, but not enough to endanger the baby. Some questions could wait. 

Star-shaped tree lights and most of her ornaments followed a space theme.  It included aliens, robots, ray guns, rocket ships, planets, an entire set of balls painted to resemble the Cosmos, stars made of all different materials, light-up ships from fandoms like Star Trek and Star Wars, and an ethereal, golden Asgardian palace that one of Thor’s friends had made.  Steve noticed that a few baby-related ornaments had made their way into Darcy’s collection already.  Steve tapped his foot along with Bruce Springsteen’s ‘ _Santa_ _Claus is Coming to Town_ ’. Darcy took her time (and extra care) hanging a delicate, spun-glass rocking horse ornament, a gift from Natasha.

After they finished decorating the tree, Darcy playfully pinned Steve on the couch. “Now, let’s watch ‘ _A Charlie Brown Christmas’_ and the ‘ _Grinch’_.  They ended up making out feverishly as the movies played (Steve had already seen both). After enjoying dessert, they sat together again to admire the tree and listen to carols. 

As they cuddled again, she felt him tense, the evening’s sense of contentment flickering out like a wind-blown flame. Darcy sat up enough so she could see his face.  His look of pain made her gasp.  “Steve!  What is it?”

He averted his gaze, the first time she knew of him hiding a show of emotion from her in months.  When he didn’t answer, she became conscious of Bing Crosby singing in the background, ‘ _I’ll be_ _Home for Christmas_ ’.

_I’ll be home for Christmas … If only in my dreams_

Steve shook his head, his tone choked.  “I remember singing that with Bucky and the other Commandos in ’44. It’s not that I would go back now, but…”

She pulled his head against her shoulder and squeezed him tightly.  “I think we all forget sometimes just how much you gave up when you crashed that plane.”  She chuckled ruefully as he shook his head again.  “I know. You don’t like to admit when something hurts you.” 

Steve kissed her neck, and then grazed his teeth along the tender skin.  “Some feelings are more fun than others.”

She chuckled at him.  “Deflecting much?”  She sighed and ran her hand up and down his arm, soothing.  “Would you be upset with me if I ask JARVIS not to play that song any more this year?”

After a short hesitation, Steve shook his head.  JARVIS was happy to comply.  An awkward pause followed. Finally, Steve joked, “enough introspection.  I’m gonna deflect you out of this sweater now.”  Darcy giggled as his actions followed his words.  Soon, though, her giggles quieted to happy sighs and moans of pleasure.

***

Carols played everywhere.  Darcy listened to them all the time.  She proclaimed, “most are like the comfort food of music.”  Sometimes, sadder ones (coupled with the grand fluctuations of pregnancy hormones) made her cry.  She loved upbeat carols, like Train’s ‘ _Merry Christmas Everybody’_ , any of the Pentatonix songs, or Mariah Carey’s ‘ _All I Want for Christmas_ ’.

Darcy couldn’t help thinking she was getting almost all _she_ wanted for Christmas the night, in early December, when she and Steve made love for the first time.  Much like their friendship, it started with cuddles and kisses and built from there.  It felt like they’d been engaged in foreplay for more than a month, but they still made out for hours on her couch before both admitted they desperately needed more. 

They’d discovered in recent weeks that Darcy was super-sensitive to intimate touch and kissing.  Steve was already addicted to pleasing her. She joked in a shaken tone, “if I ever felt this much desire before, I would’ve given up the dubious distinction of ‘ _virgin_ ’ long ago. Please…”  She sang shakily, “All I want for Christmas… is you.”  He carried her to the bed, kissing her while they laughed together.

“What am I supposed to say, especially when I’d rather do other things with my lips?”  With a pillow under her back and his head between her thighs, Steve demonstrated. Darcy shook and writhed in his sure grasp for the longest time.  She moaned for more and more, until she finally begged for him to stop.

He shifted alongside her so that he could kiss her more, relieved. For once she was so blissed that she didn’t question how he could possibly want her, belly and all.  Needy, he slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her with ready desire. 

When she could finally speak again, Darcy blurted, “I swear, Steve! Everything’s more intense. I’m so much more sensitive.  If being this turned on is a pregnancy symptom, I’ll find ways to get pregnant again and again.” She giggled and covered her eyes with one hand as he huffed a laugh of disbelief.  “Oh, gods!  Good thing you haven’t come yet.  Else, you’d run away for sure!”

Steve groaned and kissed her silent, then spooned with her while kissing her neck and caressing her teasingly.  She began to moan again. Need filled him, a desire to do whatever it took to keep Darcy wanton.  He prayed that at least some of her enhanced sensitivity would remain after the baby was born.  At the moment, he had an urgent need to be one with Darcy… finally.  He cried out with absolute joy as he pushed into her soft heat and she gasped his name again. 

They didn’t leave the bed for more than bathroom breaks and energy-replenishing food and drink that entire weekend.

***

_to be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, Aenaria, for pointing out all the places I was cheating through and needed to add more. :)
> 
> Thanks, McGregorsWench, for the prompt. I hope this makes your day better! ((HUGS))


	7. The nearly-virgin birth… and good tidings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time!  
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Steve, shower water still dampening his hair and rolling down his spine under hastily-donned clothing, heard Darcy cry out in pain. He moved faster as he neared the delivery room.  Once inside, he hugged and kissed her urgently.  “I’m sorry.  I got here as fast as I could.”

Darcy’s lips stretched to a pout of complaint.  “You’re all wet!”

Laughing, Steve shook like a dog, earning a hard slap on the hand.  As another contraction hit, the force of Darcy’s grip impressed him and left him glad for his body’s healing capabilities.  In that moment, Steve could testify that Darcy’s strength was beyond that of a normal human female.

Moments later, Bruce arrived, manner upbeat and focused.   He wore his glasses and a lab coat, quickly snapping on gloves while he spoke with the other medical personnel.  He warmed his hands and examined Darcy between contractions.  “You’re doing great, Darcy.  Wow.  Close thing! You’re already at eight centimeters.  It won’t be long.  Baby’s heartbeat is where it ought to be, yours, too.”  He gave her knee a reassuring squeeze.

Steve followed Bruce’s gaze to the heart monitors on a stand at Darcy’s side.  Baby’s read markedly faster than Darcy’s, though both picked up the pace during the stress of contractions. His thoughts tangled over how important those two heartbeats had already become to him.  He forced his feelings aside, focusing on Darcy.

The Avengers had been called into battle against Hydra forces attacking Israel a few days before Christmas.  Hydra’s sacrilege stunned the world.  Alien forces joined the battle, and Hydra even brought in a robot strike force to stand against Tony’s Iron Legion.  An alien artifact in regional Roman ruins was at the center of the dispute. Iron Man was forced to destroy it along with the Hydra leader who lifted it from its resting place and threatened to destroy the Earth.

Darcy woke from an afternoon nap on Christmas Eve, leapt from the couch to the bathroom, and cried out as her water broke and splashed the cold tile floor.  She had a panicked moment of wishing she’d just wet herself, but knew instinctively that wasn’t the case. The dream feeling of back pain had nothing on the reality as her contractions got going.  Shakily, she sat on the edge of her tub and called for Friday to alert Jane and Pepper.  She tried not to worry, but the strength of her pains increased quickly.

Jane’s call to Thor had Steve scrambling madly to finish the job.  The battle in the Holy Land was wrapping up.  Thor abruptly grabbed Hulk and Steve and called out for Heimdall’s help.  After a brief fight to calm Hulk and explanations all around on the roof of Avengers Tower, Bruce decreed that they should all get cleaned up and then go to the medical ward.

Labor progressed well, though Bruce was frantic in his efforts to understand Darcy’s labor process.  In a nerve-wracking experiment, Bruce (with Dr. Cho consulting via FaceTime) administered muscle relaxers generally accepted for use in pregnancy.  They slowed Darcy’s contractions to a manageable pace, but burned off quickly, given Darcy’s newly-enhanced metabolism.  As with most medication, there was a learning curve to managing the dosage.

While Jane cheered her on, Darcy focused on following instructions, single-mindedly determined to do everything she could to facilitate the birth.  Every time a pain passed, she rasped, “What should I be doing now?  Are we there yet?”  Moments later, her calm would leach away as the pain crept up and hit again. “Crap!  I wish I’d had time for good drugs.  This natural birth thing was some stupid man’s idea. Breathe?  _Breathe_ , my ass!”  She followed these observations with curses and agonized cries as the contractions peaked. “Bruce!  I don’t feel so relaxed anymore.  You guys gonna hit me with more relaxer, or what?” She cried out in fear as she struggled to control her strength, especially when the urge to push hit. 

Steve was so dazed by Darcy’s shifts from calm to pain that time blurred for him.  But, soon the room echoed with loud, insistent newborn cries. 

Bruce called out, “It’s a boy!  He looks great.  I’ll supervise the pediatrician you picked and the nurses in their work, too.”  A nurse smacked Bruce’s hands away as she wiped the baby’s face and head clean and wrapped him expertly in a clean, warmed blanket.  Her reproachful look let him know that evaluations could wait.  More important business was at hand.

Tears streaming down her face, full of both fear and joy, Darcy called for them to hand over her son so she could finally meet him.  The monitor betrayed the rapidness of her heartbeat for all to hear.

In the back of her mind, Darcy panicked.  What would he be like? What kind of serum flowed through his… their… veins?  Would she know how to love her baby well enough? Would she be a good mom?  Would she be ENOUGH? As the nurse finally settled her son in her arms, Darcy relaxed.  It was a full-body, complete-soul sort of relaxation that she’d never felt before. 

She had this. 

She was his mom, and she loved him more than she knew she could love.  Her gaze hungrily took in every detail of his body, every feature.

“Holy shit!  Look at those eyelashes!” The words blurted out loudly before she even thought them.  Rueful, she shrugged.  So… It wasn’t a great start to expressing her maternal feelings.

BUT…

She KNEW those eyelashes. Steve Rogers.  Those were Steve Rogers’ eyelashes.  Holy Mary, mother of God! Steve’s… Looking closer, Darcy traced her son’s full lips.  His lower lip was so plump that there was a defined indent just below it. Yep.  Those were Steve Rogers’ lips.  What a stubborn-looking little jaw! Steve’s jaw.  She looked up at Steve and stared.  Yes.  His brow furrowed as he stared into the baby’s face and gasped.

Jane whispered through tears.  “He’s beautiful.”

Darcy nodded and swallowed around the lump in her throat.  She couldn’t talk.  She was too happy. 

Sobs broke free from her lips.  Her baby was NOT the spawn of Satan.  Evil Hydra blood did NOT course through his veins. No.  No, indeed.  Her baby would be noble and good and strong and kind.  She hunched over him and cried with ecstatic relief.

The strong, warm hand grasping her to offer comfort trembled noticeably.  Steve cleared his throat.  “He… uh… Do I just wish it?”  His face filled with longing and his voice tightened with emotion.

Bruce leaned in after Darcy exclaimed over the baby’s eyelashes, his eyes wide.  He reached out a shaking finger to trace the baby’s features. “No.  He looks like you.”  Bruce let out a huff of surprise.  “May I do a DNA test to check?”

Steve held out his arm eagerly.

Darcy was beyond hope.  She knew.

***

Hours later, Bruce entered Darcy’s room, only to find it in chaos.  Balloons blew by, carried on the breeze he created as the door swung open.

Thor was toasting the baby as a worthy warrior-to-be. Most people present drank fine champagne, courtesy of Tony and Pepper.  The full room was filled with blue balloons, ‘ _Welcome Baby Boy_ ’ balloons, flowers, teddy bears, baby essentials, and gifts they hadn’t even had time to open yet. 

Darcy sat in the center of it all, cradling her son close, relaxed and beaming with happiness.

Thor had offered Steve some Asgardian mead, but Steve was determined to keep his wits and refused it until a better time.  Anxiety and tension roiled off him.  He would love the baby either way, already did.  But he wanted it to be his.

Silence fell as Bruce handed an envelope to Steve.  Taking a shaky breath, Steve opened it.  His eyes crinkled with uncertain amusement as he eyed the contents.  He reached in and pulled out a piece of paper and read it and then pulled out the accompanying congratulatory cigar.  He sank down on the edge of Darcy’s bed weakly.

Steve’s thoughts flashed back to the mortification he’d felt when ordered to provide a sperm sample to the SSR scientists before leaving to join the USO, so long ago.  Moments later, he came out of that bathroom and handed the sample cup to the white-coated tech, shaken by his improved body’s overwhelming, new responses.

Col. Phillips was leaving, shaking his head and grumbling about wrong-headed, interfering politicians. Phillips eyed the cup and then Steve.  He rolled his eyes.  “Some army.”

Steve was intensely aware of the crowd in the hallway, that all of them, including Peggy, realized what the sample was.  He flushed red from head to toe. But, even larger than self-consciousness and embarrassment, was the temptation to destroy the sperm sample.  Without Erskine’s innate goodness and passion for peace, what would come from samples of his cells?  What would become of them? He’d tried not to think about it.  But, he avoided giving other samples, from then on.

Now, it was worth any embarrassment and worry, worth going through anything.

Words, ‘ _Positive Match_ ’, on the page in his hand held his attention and filled him with joy. He looked up again at Darcy, beaming happily.  “It’s a match. He’s mine, too.”  He reached out carefully to touch his son’s downy cheek. "Oh, son."  His whisper was heavy with love and joy.

Their friends cheered, startling the baby and causing him to cry loud protests.  Darcy cuddled him closer, soothing and reassuring. “Shh!  It’s okay.  It’s happy noise, my sweetheart.  You’re as safe as can be. We’re okay.”

Natasha was near tears.  “He’ll be fine.  His mom’s a champion cuddler.”  Clint laughed.

Tony teased, “I’m still not sure about the father.”  He slapped Steve on the back, obviously overjoyed.  Turning his gaze to Darcy, he asked, “so, is his name ‘ _Jesus’_ since you guys managed this, at _Christmas_ , without either of you giving up your virginity?”  Clint guffawed in disbelief.

Darcy shook her head and made a face.  “No. And, well, we had things out of order. But, no.”  She chuckled as Tony did a double take.  Then, her gaze returned to her son. “May I present Stevenson Abraham Lewis?  I’ll call him Steven.”  She beamed with pride, and then spared a nervous glance Steve’s way.  He nodded firmly while wondering how soon he could convince Darcy to marry him and add the last name 'Rogers' to that name.  He loved them both infinitely.

Thor smiled and nodded approval.  “Welcome, son of Steven.”

Steve’s face crumpled with emotion as he choked back tears. “You’re gonna be okay, and we have a son!”

Tony turned to Natasha.  “Did she just say they’ve had sex?”  Natasha’s expression didn’t shift at all as she eyed him in return.  Tony’s grin widened.

Bruce ignored Tony and nodded to Darcy.  “More than okay! Remember what I said about your blood and Steven’s intermingling, and your cells changing?  I told you it was a serum.  It looks like you’ve gotten a bit of the best serum ever.  But, I think you know that, given that the middle name you picked was Erskine’s first name.”

Darcy nodded, happy understanding showing on her face as she and Steve gazed at each other over their son’s head.  She managed to share, “and, it’s for one of my grandpas, too. But, picking which family name to use was much easier when I started thinking about Dr. Erskine and his handy-dandy serum.”

Clint let out a low whistle.  “Good thing you like her, Cap!  It looks like your baby mama is gonna be around for a long time to come.”  Natasha thumped his ear.  “Oww!  Stop it, Nat.”

Steve squeezed Darcy’s hand tightly in his own.  “I hope so.  I intend to be here for you two, forever.”

Darcy laughed.  “You’re trying to ignore him calling me your _baby mama_ , aren’t you?” 

Steve nodded, his tone dry as tinder.  “Trying hard.” Clint rubbed his ear ruefully.

Tony snorted a laugh and raised his champagne glass.  “To Stevenson Abraham!  To Cap’s baby mama! To the nearly-virgin birth of Darcy’s and Cap’s spawn!”  Glasses were clinked amid raucous laughter.

And, they lived happily ever after.

**The End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to visit my tumblr for assorted Chris Evans/other beautiful stuff/the occasional ShieldShock ficlet. [GlynnisIsta8 on tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/glynnisi)
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read, given kudos, commented, reblogged, and encouraged me with this little bit of fluff. Writing it made me happy. I hope reading it did the same for you! :)
> 
> Thank you, Aenaria and Rainne, for beta help with this chapter. Aenaria urged me to flesh out my first draft response to the prompt and not skimp on details. Rainne took pity on me today while I'm doped up on cold meds and gave my latest draft help and called me on my bad ellipses habit. ;)
> 
> Thank you, McGregorsWench, for this story prompt. Merry Christmas! :) *samooch*
> 
> Prompt ~ A heavily pregnant Darcy (due to some kind of mix-up at the SHIELD doctor’s office - or let’s be honest, it was probably Hydra trying to breed more Super Soldiers) meets Steve (sometime around Halloween) while knitting Christmas presents in the common room, she has been put on temporary restrictions. Steve comes in to watch something? They end up talking, then dating, and when she gives birth on Christmas Eve they find out that Steve is actually the father (whether someone at SHIELD or Hydra did it or not and without either one knowing is up to the author). If you can work in that Darcy was/is a virgin too that would be interesting! 
> 
> Notes for McGregorsWench- I took away the restrictions so that Steve & Darcy could have the sex. They insisted. It was totally their idea. Blame them. ;) So, I worked the knitting in a little differently.
> 
> AN: My head canon on this is that Erskine was a nice enough man that he wanted Steve protected from ongoing misery/being isolated from humanity. Thus, he made the serum so that it would transmit to the mother of Steve’s child through the placenta (fr. week 5 on, blood supply is shared). She would be protected by the serum and live longer to continue as part of Steve’s life. 
> 
> Aenaria and I agree that Darcy would have a diluted version of the serum, enough to help with healing and slow aging. I also gave her some extra strength so she can protect herself and baby Steven.


End file.
